Wärtsilä 50DF engine capables to operate on ethane gas

The market leading Wärtsilä 50DF marine engine has been successfully tested and certified to run on ethane (LEG) fuel. The extensive and successful testing programme was carried out by Wärtsilä in close collaboration with Evergas, a world renowned owner and operator of seaborne petrochemical and liquid gas transport vessels.

“We are very pleased that the Wärtsilä engines will be capable of utilising ethane boil-off gas as fuel. It increases our operational efficiency and improves flexibility in the bunkering of fuels. All in all it results in a significant reduction in operating costs, while also providing a minimal environmental footprint. It also enables us to offer our customers increased flexibility, which has a monetary value to them,” says Mr Steffen Jacobsen, the CEO of Evergas.

The capability to efficiently burn ethane boil-off gas as engine fuel significantly reduces the need of gas re-liquefaction during the voyage. This means that less power is needed for the cargo handling, thus providing a more efficient and environmentally sound overall system.

This technological breakthrough enables Wärtsilä’s customers to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Tier III regulations without need of secondary emissions cleaning while using either LNG or LEG as fuel. The engines have the capability to seamlessly switch between Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), Ethane (LEG), Light Fuel Oil (LFO) or Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) without the need for any modifications to hardware and with uninterrupted operation, thereby setting a new standard in fuel flexibility.